OCR Specification focus:
‘The extent to which British aims in India were achieved, c.1730–1773.’
Between 1730 and 1773, Britain pursued economic, political, and strategic aims in India. Success varied, with notable victories tempered by challenges in governance, finance, and resistance.
British Aims in India (c.1730–1773)
Economic Aims
Britain’s initial goals were primarily commercial, centred on the East India Company (EIC) securing profitable trade.
Control of textiles, spices, and opium.
Establishment of monopolistic trade by excluding rival European powers.
Development of revenue streams through taxation and control of Indian territories.
Political and Strategic Aims
Beyond commerce, Britain aimed to secure political influence.
Expansion of Company authority beyond coastal trading posts.
Weakening the power of the Mughal Empire and regional rulers.
Ensuring dominance over European rivals, especially France.
Military Successes and Failures
Key Victories
Battle of Plassey (1757): Robert Clive’s victory against the Nawab of Bengal established Company dominance and secured vital revenues.
A plan-map of the Battle of Plassey (1757) showing the battlefield layout and dispositions. This visual links the military success that preceded formal revenue authority in 1765. It depicts tactical geography only and does not add syllabus-external content. Source
Battle of Buxar (1764): Defeat of the Nawab of Oudh and Mughal Emperor gave the Company the Diwani rights to collect revenues in Bengal, Bihar, and Orissa.
Expulsion of the French from most strongholds ensured Britain’s supremacy.
Limitations
Military dominance was expensive, stretching Company resources.
Reliance on alliances with local rulers created fragile foundations for control.
Resistance from Indian elites and peasantry revealed persistent vulnerabilities.
Economic Achievements
Expanding Trade and Revenue
Britain secured immense profits through:
Collection of land revenues following Buxar.
Growing monopoly over Bengal’s textile trade, once dominated by local merchants.
Increased exports of cotton, silk, saltpetre, and opium.
Problems and Failures
Rapid expansion led to administrative corruption within the Company.
Local economies were destabilised as traditional industries declined.
Famines in Bengal (notably 1770) exposed weaknesses in governance and prioritisation of profit over welfare.
Diwani Rights: The authority to collect revenue and administer civil justice on behalf of the Mughal emperor, granted to the East India Company in 1765.
Political Control
Growing Company Authority
Company shifted from a trading corporation to a territorial power.
From 1765, it held responsibility for both revenue and governance in Bengal.
A comparative map highlighting East India Company-governed territories in 1765 (left) and 1805 (right). The 1765 panel illustrates the immediate post-Diwani footprint in Bengal, Bihar and Orissa, contextualising the Company’s new fiscal authority. The 1805 panel provides additional, later expansion not required by this subtopic but helps frame the trajectory from early success to wider rule. Source
This marked a transformation in imperial priorities, with political control now essential to economic success.
Constraints on Power
The Company was financially dependent on loans from Britain and local bankers.
Parliamentary oversight increased after reports of misrule and corruption.
Tensions emerged between Company officials seeking personal enrichment and metropolitan authorities advocating stable governance.
The Role of Key Individuals
Robert Clive
His leadership at Plassey and Buxar secured British dominance.
Implemented revenue reforms, though critics accused him of corruption and personal profit.
His reputation symbolised both Company success and moral controversy.
Warren Hastings
As Governor from 1772, he began reforms to address inefficiency.
Focused on legal and administrative improvements.
Represented Britain’s transition from mercantile expansion to structured governance.
Relations with Indian Powers
Weakening the Mughal Empire
Britain exploited the declining authority of Mughal emperors.
Diwani rights effectively replaced Mughal sovereignty in Bengal.
Local Alliances and Resistance
Alliances with rulers such as Mir Jafar facilitated victories.
However, betrayals and resistance were constant challenges.
Indian discontent reflected the limits of British success, as authority rested on fragile local agreements.
Impact on the East India Company
Gains
The Company became a major political power, with control over vast resources.
Revenue from Bengal supported expansion across India.
British Parliament increasingly recognised India’s strategic and economic importance.
Problems
Mismanagement and corruption damaged credibility.
The Company required loans from the British state by the early 1770s.
Growing criticism of nabobs (Company officials returning wealthy from India) revealed public unease with imperial practices.
Nabob: A term used in Britain to describe wealthy East India Company officials who returned from India, often accused of corruption and self-enrichment.
Measuring Success, 1730–1773
Successes
Secured commercial dominance in Bengal and beyond.
Defeated major European rivals, especially France.
Transformed the East India Company into a territorial authority.
Laid the foundation for further expansion of the British Empire in India.
Failures and Limitations
Expansion brought financial instability and dependence on Britain.
Administrative corruption and misrule created instability.
Resistance from Indian rulers and the suffering of Indian populations revealed the incomplete nature of British control.
By 1773, Parliament was compelled to intervene, beginning closer regulation of the Company.
This period, therefore, illustrates that while Britain achieved notable military and economic victories, these were undermined by internal weaknesses and the heavy human costs of empire.
FAQ
Bengal was one of the richest provinces of the Mughal Empire, producing high-quality textiles and generating vast revenue.
After the Battle of Buxar and the Treaty of Allahabad in 1765, the East India Company gained Diwani rights there. This provided a reliable stream of income, making Bengal the cornerstone of British power in India.
Military victories such as Plassey and Buxar created an image of Britain as a rising imperial power.
They enhanced national prestige by showing Britain could rival France in Asia.
Victories were celebrated in Parliament and the press, strengthening support for the East India Company.
However, the enrichment of Company officials also stirred controversy and accusations of corruption.
The Company’s rapid territorial acquisitions created financial instability.
Officials prioritised personal enrichment, draining resources.
Revenue collection was inefficient and exploitative, causing unrest.
By the early 1770s, the Company faced bankruptcy and required loans from the British government, showing limits to its “success.”
Although Britain gained revenue rights and military victories, resistance persisted.
Peasant uprisings occurred due to harsh taxation and famine conditions.
Local rulers, such as those in Oudh, resisted Company dominance even after defeat.
These forms of opposition highlighted that British power rested on fragile foundations, not total control.
Parliament intervened because of the Company’s mismanagement and financial crisis.
Reports of corruption and famine in Bengal shocked public opinion.
The Company’s request for a government loan demonstrated its inability to manage its affairs.
This led directly to the Regulating Act of 1773, marking the start of state oversight and revealing the limitations of Company “success.”
Practice Questions
Question 1 (2 marks)
In which year did the East India Company gain the Diwani rights in Bengal, Bihar and Orissa, and what did these rights allow the Company to do?
Mark scheme:
1 mark for correctly identifying the year: 1765.
1 mark for stating what the rights involved: authority to collect revenue and administer civil justice in Bengal, Bihar and Orissa.
Question 2 (6 marks)
Explain two ways in which the East India Company’s military victories between 1757 and 1764 contributed to the expansion of British power in India.
Mark scheme:
Award up to 3 marks for each explained way (maximum 6 marks).
Battle of Plassey (1757):
1 mark for identifying the battle.
1 mark for describing that it secured Company dominance in Bengal.
1 mark for explaining how it provided revenues and a power base for further expansion.
Battle of Buxar (1764):
1 mark for identifying the battle.
1 mark for describing the defeat of the Nawab of Oudh and the Mughal Emperor.
1 mark for explaining that this led to the grant of Diwani rights in 1765, giving the Company authority to collect revenues and strengthening its political control.
